After I got the acceptance letter to medical school in New York, I closed down my small studio in Orlando and said goodbye. Since entering the city and living here for the past four years, I’ve adopted a new kind of photography—street photography which i believe is more challenging than any previous styles i’ve done in the studio.

So as I air out my frustrations from studying for boards, doing rotations at the hospital, I find escape in taking some gear and shooting into the concrete jungle.

Here is an image of my light bag, a Domke f-5xb, which can house more than what is pictured, but I tend to be minimalistic with my stuff. Plus carrying a lot in the city is asking for pain and muscle aches after a lot of walking.

The cellphone has the much needed battery pack, and a very much needed picture of my wife.

Next to that is my South Korean music player, a Cowon J3. Don’t let anyone steer you wrong, while Apple boosted the portable music economy, the Cowon brand takes the cake in quality sound. I’ve never looked back.

Pairing the Cowon with the headphones underneath it: In Ear Monitors SM3 V2 made by Earsonic. After searching for good headphones, I found the name brands to be too ostentatious. I wanted something subtle and effective. They drown out noise because of the good ear seal, and because of that, you don’t have to turn your volume up to compensate for the loud city. Remember to always listen to your music at safe volumes.

Portra 400, one of my faves.

I know it’s sort of pretentious to have a book, and especially to show what book you’re reading, but I honestly take my kindle with me everywhere I go. Right now I’m going through a series of short stories by author Philip K. Dick, the same author who influenced the film Blade Runner. Why a kindle and not a cool paper bound book? Because those things get bulky, and I can keep a ton of ebooks in my bag. It boils down to practicality.

Finally, my Voigtlander R2A. This is the first Rangefinder I bought since moving into the city. I’ve cycled through many cameras in that time, but this one has stayed. It continues to impress me how effective these cameras are at shooting. I have two Leicas, both an M6 and M9P, but still have a soft spot for my Voigtlander. Right now, the lens that lives on it is the 15mm Super Wide Heliar. I’m drawn towards shooting wide a lot, and this lens is super great for it.

Thanks for sharing your bag with us Raphael. Nice to hear photography gives you an escape.
Check out the links and make sure you come and comment.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com. Send me a hi resolution image of the bag (please make sure it is horizontal) and its contents, with some details about yourself and what you shoot. Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here. Please understand that there is a long wait now as there is a backlog of submissions. Not all make the cut, so make sure yours is funny/interesting/quirky. And please make sure the shot is of good quality, as the ones that are not do not go up.
Cheers
Japancamerahunter